


Bringing Back the Stupid

by misura



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Community: avland, M/M, Sick Bucky Barnes, Sickfic, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're a nurse, too, now? Where's your uniform?"</p>
<p>"I'm wearing it," Steve said. He was, too, conspicuous stains and all.</p>
<p>"Your <i>nurse's</i> uniform," Bucky clarified. The soup wasn't half bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bringing Back the Stupid

The Austrian climate had definitely changed since the last time Bucky'd been here; he remembered the country as being rather cold, especially the parts with snow.

It was plenty warm now, though - almost hot. It made his head hurt.

"Hey," Steve said, "you all right?"

Stupid question; they'd just cleared out another Hydra base. A small one, granted - more of a depot than an actual, full-fledged base. Still, a blow struck was a blow struck.

"Fine." No need to ask if _Steve_ was all right. "I think today makes seven."

Steve did that thing with his face he imagined was a scowl and said, "Six."

If they both made it out of this war alive, he was going to have to teach Steve about how to bargain properly. As it was: "And a half."

"Question: how can you _half_ save someone's life?" Morita asked. Morita was not driving, which was a small blessing, as it meant that _Dugan_ was driving. Dugan driving was fine if you wanted to get somewhere in a hurry and didn't mind the scenery, but it always was speed before comfort.

"Single-handedly and with one eye shut?" Bucky needed both hands to fire his rifle, of course. Both eyes, too, usually. "I don't know. It should be seven."

"Are you _sure_ you're all right?" Steve asked. Subtle about wanting to change the subject, he wasn't. "You look a little ... "

Morita nodded. Morita had not been anywhere near a sniper's nest.

" _You_ looked like you were taking some rather unnecessary risks," Bucky said. "Don't get me wrong, I got your back any time, any place, but I can only fire one bullet at a time."

Morita frowned. Steve sighed. "I knew what I was doing. You're not feeling hot or anything?"

"Of course I'm feeling hot," Bucky snapped. "It's like an oven in here. Honestly, Steve, I - "

 

Blessedly cool darkness was eventually replaced by other sensations, some of them considerably less pleasant. The blanket that covered him was decidedly scratchy.

"Bucky? Are you awake?"

The room was uncomfortably hot. Also: he'd fainted in front of people other than Steve. Just Steve would have been bad enough, but manageable. He had plenty of dirt on Steve, too, after all; it was what happened when you grew up together as best friends and maybe sometimes almost something a little more. (Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about that, though.)

If he wanted to keep his reputation from being completely ruined, he'd have to do a lot of saving other people's lives very soon.

"Bucky?"

"I'm sleeping." He wondered how long Steve had been hanging around, waiting. Maybe someone had run off and fetched him the moment Bucky had given some signs of life. "And sick."

"Yeah. Don't worry, it's just the flu."

The flu. Exciting stuff. "Who said I was worried? I'm not you." Of course, Steve had never worried about any of the actually important stuff, like how he was going to _not_ get beaten up in some back-alley by mouthing off at the wrong moment to the wrong person. Again.

"Are you sure you're sleeping? You sound kind of snippy for someone who's asleep."

"I'm hungry. Think you can help me sleepwalk to a place where I can get some food?" He'd be surprised if he'd be able to get up, let alone move - with or without Steve's support.

"Don't. I'll go get some. You just get some more sleep."

Still the same good old Steve.

 

Bucky smelled the soup before he saw it. His stomach seemed to have some mixed feelings about it.

Steve helped him sit up straight. Bucky might have been a little embarrassed if he hadn't had about a dozen memories of doing the exact same thing for Steve.

"You're a nurse, too, now? Where's your uniform?"

"I'm wearing it," Steve said. He was, too, conspicuous stains and all.

"Your _nurse's_ uniform," Bucky clarified. The soup wasn't half bad. Better than what they ate in the field, most of the time. He wondered if Steve had used his newfound charms on someone in the kitchen. Given the way Steve looked now, it wouldn't take much, probably.

A simple smile and a bit of politeness might do the trick. It had often enough done so for Bucky.

"Sorry I'm not a pretty lady." Steve didn't really sound sorry.

"Don't be sorry for _that_." Bucky could not have grown up best friends with a pretty lady. He could have developed a crush on one, naturally, but it probably wouldn't have lasted anywhere near as long as his crush on Steve. "Stupid."

"I'd call you 'stupid' right back, but you're still kind of sick," Steve said. "So that seems a little mean."

Steve didn't have a mean bone in his body, the big softie. He knew that Bucky knew that, of course.

"Nothing wrong with my mouth, you know. Or my brains." A little light-headed, maybe, but perfectly capable of handling Steve's idea of insults.

"Your mouth - yeah, okay. I guess. I'm not as sure about your brains, though. I mean, I've never heard getting the flu made people's brains start working again all of a sudden."

Pretty good, considering. Pity Steve hadn't let himself get lured into commenting on Bucky's mouth, though. That might have been fun.

"You should be glad. The day my brains start working again is the day I quit the team." Not true, and they both knew it. Unless Steve would quit, too, Bucky was in this 'till the end of the line.

"I'm glad you're all right," Steve said.

"Your affection is smothering me. Go away. Do something useful." Taking a shower and changing into some fresh clothes might be good. Bucky also had a sneaking suspicion there was a very impatient someone waiting for a debrief on their mission.

"I'm pretty sure the fact that I outrank you means you can't order me around."

"It's not me talking, it's your common sense."

Steve sighed. "Fine. Just don't overdo it, all right? Take your time."

 

"Barnes! You lucky dog!"

Typical. He'd been here for two days and aside from Steve, he'd had no visitors at all. The doctor had told him he'd likely be cleared for duty later today - just a matter of some paperwork.

"Careful. I might still be contagious." Bucky supposed he should feel a little bit touched that all of them had come. They were a team, yes, but when you came right down to it, they barely knew each other.

The same went for everyone in the 107th, of course. Maybe it was what happened during a war. Something good to come out of all the bad - although of course not doing anything at all would have been worse.

"That's what I'm talking about," Dugan said. "I mean, I reckon Rogers is immune, right? So the two of you, alone in a room, no need to worry 'bout people butting in. Nice!"

Dugan probably wasn't suggesting what it sounded like he was suggesting. "He visited a couple of times, yes. Fed me soup." They'd find out about that soon enough, anyway.

Steve was perfectly capable of keeping a secret, but only if it was an actual secret. This would be small stuff to him. It was small stuff to Bucky, too. He'd _fainted_ after a mission.

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Dernier asked.

Gabe asked something in French. Dernier shook his head.

"Heard you'll be joining us again soon," Morita said.

Dugan snapped his fingers. "Jim. Focus. Rogers fed you soup? Just soup?"

This was no way to treat a man who'd just recovered from a not particularly serious illness. "What do you want, a menu?"

Gabe muttered something in a language that was definitely not French. It didn't sound particularly complimentary. Dugan tsked.

"Nothing happened at all? No ... feelings were expressed? Confessions made?"

Wonderful. Bucky thought he'd been discrete. _Steve_ certainly hadn't given any sign of noticing anything. Of course, Steve had always been rather oblivious when it came to this particular subject. You practically had to drag him into a corner and kiss the stuffing out of him before he got the hint.

Bucky hadn't yet reached the point where he'd seriously consider _that_ as an option. Besides, it wouldn't be a friendly thing to do. Steve deserved better.

"Sounds like _someone_ might need a little help," Dugan said.

Dernier smirked, as if Bucky required any visual clues to make him aware that the last thing he needed or wanted was help. "Don't you dare."

"What'd you plan to do about it, eh?" Dugan beamed at him. "Just a friendly nudge, is all."

"Be doing both of you a favor," Morita said.

Bucky glared at the two of them, and then at Gabe and Dernier, for good measure. "No. Get out."

"See?" Dugan turned to Gabe. "Bet you he'd cheer right up if we gave him something to smile about. None of this uncalled for hostility."

"Out. Now."

Maybe Steve was right about his brains not quite working properly. The smarter thing would definitely have been to keep them here until he got discharged, make sure they didn't get Steve alone.

 

"Has Dugan said anything to you?"

Morita was a follower, Dernier was French and Gabe talked in foreign languages half the time. Bucky figured that if anyone had been doing something they shouldn't have, it would be Dugan.

Steve looked confused. "Good morning, I think?" Bucky relaxed slightly. "Why, should he have said anything else?"

"He threatened to tell you I've loved you from the first time I saved your skinny ass from a beating. Naturally, I was a little concerned."

Steve blinked and stared at him. "Why? I already know that."

On second thought, perhaps the whole 'jump him and kiss him' plan warranted some more careful consideration. "It was the way he phrased it."

Steve's expression said that didn't clarify the matter in any way.

"Never mind. When are we going to blow up the next Hydra base?"

"It's mutual, you know," Steve said. "The whole love at first sight thing. Before I got to know the real you and all that. I guess I just have a type."

"Charming, intelligent and good-looking?" A rare combination, but not unique. Bucky had taken several ladies who fitted that description dancing. "That's called 'taste', Captain."

"You," Steve said. He looked stubborn. There didn't really seem anything for Steve to be stubborn _about_ , though. "I love everything about you. _Everything._ "

Obliviousness had been easier to deal with, in a way. On the other hand, it wasn't as if Bucky had any doubts about his own feelings. So he was in love with his best friend. So he didn't let that stop him from looking for pretty girls and convincing them to spend a night on the town with him.

"Everything?"

Steve smiled brightly. "Well, okay, now that you mention it, there's just a _few_ things - "

The 'jump him and kiss him' plan was sheer genius. Bucky wished he'd been the one to think of it first.

As it was, he supposed he'd settle for being the last one to actually do it.


End file.
